PART 4 | The forth and final installment of the Aeron Aether short story series.
Aether, a Time Virtue recruited by Destiny, is on a mission to save those Khronos has deemed unworthy to live in his perfect world.
Aether must travel through the pipe...
Aether rushed to the Great Hall of Knowledge anticipating to see Melora alone, but she was accompanied by Destiny.
"Aether!" Destiny's voice sounded deep as though her voice had come from the pit of her stomach, "I'm so sorry."
Aether's expression demonstrated defeat as his head hung low between his shoulders.
"We had hoped you would make your way back here. Melora and I have been discussing how to restore you to the mortal world."
His heart sunk into his chest at the sound of her words. He could go...
Home?
"I thought you would've tried to keep me here to help you, considering you'd have to maintain the balance on your own?"
"There is someone destined to become the next Time God. To replace Khronos..." she had an eerie, unreasonable smile, and even winked at Aether, "...and also assist me in maintaining the balance. Just as someone is destined to become another Time Virtue if you chose to leave Perennial Heights. I would love to be selfish, and keep you here, but I understand how much a mortal life means to you. You have been the only Time Virtue to hold on to his humanity. Who am I to stop a fated love like that?"
"So, you will do it alone until someone just comes along?"
"Just as you have family in the mortal world, I too have family here in Perennial Heights."
"Right, Melora and Kathena. Wait! Kathena?!" he shouted remembering.
"She's fine, Aether. When you smashed Khronos' staff it released her from the pipeline. But more importantly, how did you know who they were to me?"
"Bit obvious really, now that I think of it."
Destiny smiled lightly as she glanced over to her mother who was smiling in return.
"So you can't do anything about... my father?"
"Unfortunately no, I cannot do anything about his mortal soul."
"He was on the list, wasn't he?"
Destiny's glance faded from Aether's face in an attempt to hide her expression in shame.
"It's okay. I understand. I don't like that I understand, but I get it," Aether sighed, "So when can you send me back?"
"Aether, I can't send you back..."
"What? So I have to wait till a new Time God shows up?" his fists balled at his sides.
"Calm down, I can't do anything except return your mortality... to a... certain extent," she said.
"You can't—what wait... to a certain extent?" he asked.
"No being can fully revert to their original mortality status, you would be part-mortal."
"And everyone's memories of me would return to them?"
"It would be as if you woke up the very next morning," she added.
"The next morning... ha... back to the original timeline. It would be like I dreamt it all?"
"The original... timeline? Aether I should mention something."
"What's that?" he asked.
"The original timeline isn't when I met you in that clock tower in 1995. The original timeline is—"
"—2195!" he interrupted, "I thought I was going to the future to check up on it each time, but it makes so much sense now that that would be the original timeline."
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."
"Well, I guess I know what I have to look forward to when-I-get-back-to-my-past-life! How is that going to happen again?" his tone turned sarcastic.
"Maybe we should head back to the Time Chamber."
"But—"
"Trust me, Aether," she added.
Aether was reluctant to go back to the place he lost his father, for the second time. Destiny dragged him through Perennial Heights with the same eerie smile as before to the top of what was Khronos' time chamber. The mechanical door was already open, and as Aether moved inside of the room he was thrown backward in shock. A figure was standing over the orb that stood on a pedestal in the middle of the large room. Aether had only just killed Khronos in this room, and his mind was racing to try to figure out how he had returned.
The figure turned slowly, revealing its profile. Aether took a large breath, to only let it out with utter relief.
"But how?" he gasped.
"Aether, my son," Erek stood unscathed, beaming with life.
"How?" Aether repeated.
"I said that somebody would be destined to replace Khronos. It happened sooner than I even thought. The moment Erek's soul left his body it showed up in the ethereal realm. Where innocent souls worthy to join the Godly world of Perennial Heights are found after death. It is where Khronos was storing the good souls of Earth. Erek is worthy. Erek knows this world. Erek was born to be the Father of All Time."
Aether turned to face Erek, "So you'll send me home?"
"It would be my absolute honor to send you back to Eeva and your mother," Erek smiled at him but with a hint of discontent.
"...but you can't come back with me," Aether added in realization.
"Your mother has done an amazing job with you Aeron, she will continue to do an amazing job with you I'm sure of it."
"Erek," Destiny's voice piped up, "I can restore some memories of you to Charise... if you both would like? She would have more settled feelings about you, rather than those of spite she might be holding currently.
"Let's do it," Aether added smiling at Erek.
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